Author: mtashby

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I fell asleep last night about 7:30, just before sunset. I woke up at 3:30 with the sounds of fishing boats leaving m, but dozed until 5:00. I tried to make tea, but there was no gas. The solenoid isn’t working. I checked at it has 12V. It is frozen … probably because it has not been operated for a week while I was at the house. Tried tapping it, but it is dead. I will try to get a solenoid while at the chandler today. I have a backup regulator. The one in there is looking pretty corroded. The Avis dealer opens up at 7:30. I will leave about 7:00 (30m from now) to try to avoid the 8:00 traffic. The Avis dealer told me to go to a tire repair place around the corner. By 9:30 I was on my way to Cape Town. I picked up Mike at the V&A Marina, then we visited the rope factory Southern Ropes where I bought a 200m reel of 12mm marine-quality rope and a few other things, then Seaport Supply, where I got a replacement shackle for the jib and a replacement foot pump for the galley. While waiting for Mike at the Marina, I ran into two technicians for Viking Life Raft. They connected me with their office. It seems like they will be able to recertify my life raft before Monday. I asked around about a replacement solenoid for the LPG line, but no luck. I found out however that Amazon can ship it here by Monday. I ordered three for $150, including the $45 shipping fee. I thought about ordering more sensors too, but figured they would die right away like the other ones. It is 18:00 and I have not heard if I need to take the life raft to Cape Town tomorrow, so I assume I do not. I am going to work on organizing/cleaning the main cabin, making new sheets for the jib, etc.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: Feeling productive today, I stopped work at 3:00 and went to the Lookout Restaurant because it was supposed to be sushi night. Unfortunately the special ended last week, but I had sushi anyway. My sever, Joel, invited me to listen to local music tomorrow night. I was back at the house by 4:30 to do my last load of clothes …’the clothes off my back. I am not likely to see another washing machine for 5 months. I went to sleep earlier than usual and slept until 4:30. After my tea, I finished packing. I was able to pack about 95% of the stuff in the bags I had, and I was at the dock by 7:00. I took five trips to the boat to unload the car and I was back at the house by 8:00 with a few empty bags to gather the last of the stuff … and to take the last freshwater bath I will likely see for the remainder of the trip. I soaked for almost an hour, as if preparing myself for the jerking I was going to experience in the saltwater during the coming months. I was back at the boat by 9:30. The wind was still relatively light, so I installed the mainsail. I struggled for quite awhile to secure the pins in the tack and flew, but by 10:30 I was finished. I organized the V-berth area and cleared out some food that I will not eat (donated it to locals). I worked on the boat until 15:00, then got a shower and something to eat. It is dust and I am going to sleep.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: As promised, the winds were back last night and they threatened to wake me up at 3:30, but I managed to sleep until 5:00. This is my last full day at the house, so I need to make good use of it. I emailed Saldanha to begin the process of outbound clearance at Yachtport. I was working on the boat by 7:00. I donated the canned/bottled goods I believe I will not use and cleaned out the fridge. I was back at the house by 8:30, soaking my shopping bags in bleach to remove mold, salvaging one of the four mosquito tents and both hammocks (after throwing away the corroded hardware and treating them for mold), and wrapped the two duffle bags with spare clothes in plastic so they don’t get mildewed again. I need to decide whether to make a special trip to the Avis car rental to have the spare tire replaced or whether I should combine the trip to the one to Cape Town. The car rental place is 25m away and on the way to Cape Town. I printed out copies of the boat’s documentation (officials are always asking for copies of the passport, boat registration, etc.). I made another half dozen meals and when the laundry was ready, I put it in the dryer and took my nap. After an hour I started packing the laundry. I made a few more meals, then took them to the boat. As so hoped, the parking lots were full of tourists, but there were almost no cars on the pier, so I was able to drive right up to the marina gate. That was good because I had four loads of clothes and the wind was screaming. What is now left at the house is more manageable for tomorrow. It will be Sunday so I assume it will be quiet at the pier. I have to be out of the house by 10:00.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 4:30 but did not get out of bed until dawn. I packaged several more meals, then went to the boat to take the provision I had prepared and gather some more ingredients. I stopped by Woolworths and was back at the house at 8:00, making another half dozen meals. I returned to the boat at 9:30 to meet with Jonathan from Southern Loft. He said the sails were in very good shape and now could easily go around the world another time. Another stop at the store and another half dozen meals later, I laid down for my midday nap. I visited the hardware store and the boat once more. Tomorrow I will do final laundry, make the last of meals, and donate the cans of food onboard that I will not be using, do I can make room to finish cleaning the main cabin and move back onboard Sunday.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 4:30. I received a message that the sails are finished and will be delivered tomorrow or Saturday. I will need to find a morning with light wind so I can install them on the boat. I did computer work in the morning before going to the boat. I was at the boat by 8:00, but just for an hour, gathering things to make meal packets. I was back at the house by 9:00. I made a dozen meals packets and then took my 2h nap. Meals included split peas soup with ham and carrots, Greek (dolmades, giant white beans in tomato sauce, couscous, and olives), and corn chowder (made with instant potatoes, cream corn, and “spam bacon”). I figure I need about 30 of these meals because some have multiple servings, I will have fresh food for the first week or so, and I will probably catch fish. I got up and packed two large duffle bags of clothes I do not expect to use for the remainder of the trip. I want to seal them in plastic with duct tape. I made 60 individual servings of my oatmeal recipe this afternoon.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 3:00 to the sound of blinds flapping in the wind. I thought it was something in the dryer, which was odd because the dryer cycle should have been finished hours earlier. I managed to get next to sleep only to wake up at my usual 4:30. For the first time since arriving a week ago, I fell back asleep again and slept until 5:30. I out in the last full load of laundry this morning. I have a few things that need to be hand-washed. I have decided I need to start moving some of the food off the boat. It will be easier to package it into meals at the house. Also, the cupboards need to be cleared out anyway to be cleaned and reorganized. I got to the boat at 8:00. The main storage cabinet under the map table was a mess. Several bottles had broken and black mold was present. It too about an hour to clean up the mess. I sprayed the cabinet down with Mold Kilkakleen and let it sit overnight. I couldn’t stay in the boat because if the fumes. I took away seven bags of non-perishable food to be sorted at the house. I picked up a Cape Salmon from the fish monger and stopped by two stores in the way home, picking up some small plastic bags and some non-perishable items I knew I would need to prepare my meals.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 4:30, did a couple of loads of laundry, worked on the itinerary website , and was at the boat by 7:30. By 8:00 I was finished oiling the wood in the forward cabin and started to move things back into it. I managed to drop an heavy object on the big toe on my left foot. Looks like I won’t be doing any hiking anytime soon. After getting everything but the clothes (still at the house) and the non-perishable food back in the forward cabin, I decided it was best to start in the main cabin by taking an inventory of the food. To do that, I need to get into the storage cabinet underneath the tubs in the salon. When I got the cabinet open there was not too much food left. But, the cabinet was very damp. I left it open to dry out and I won’t be putting anything else I there. Since I am considering a very long passage (5650 nm and at least 50 days), I have decided I will need to take a different approach to provisioning. I will be out of fresh food within a week or two, so I will need to rely on the non-perishables. I am going to organize the food into meals and package them with the ingredients and the recipe. For example, corn chowder with the potato flakes and canned corn. Each of these meals will last 2-3 days, so I will need perhaps 20-25 of these meals. I want them to either be prepared by boiling water or in the pressure cooker. Since the food is occupying most of the space right now (preventing me from cleaning the main cabin), I am going back to the house to work on my computer and make a list of the ingredients so I can come back and start sorting the ingredients by meals. I am also going to make 50 servings of my instant oatmeal. After shopping for some things to make the oatmeal, I was back at the house by 13:00 to put in another load of laundry and take a nap. I woke after 2h, just in time to hear the buzzer go off on the washer. This seems to be my pattern lately, sleep 6-7h at night and take a 2h nap. I am down to the last couple of loads of laundry. The last load I did was my foul weather gear. After soaking in bleach for 2d, I was able to get the mildew stains out of my go-to light Gill jacket.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 3:30 after 6h sleep. Not sure why … maybe too comfortable and quiet. After a couple of loads of laundry, I was at the boat by 7:30. I finished clearing out everything in the forward cabin except the spare parts bin and the stuff in the hanging bags (which I went through … maps, spare foul weather great, spare computer, sail bags, etc.). I tried to pump the little bit of water on the bow thruster compartment, but the hand pump would not fit in the space. I will need to wait until I have access to the big syringe. I started by wiping the surfaces down with Windex and paper towel, then treated the surfaces with Mold Kilkakleen. I was finished cleaning and treating the forward cabin by 9:30. I could not stay on the boat after the treatment, so I returned to the house to continue washing. I left hatches open to air the space out. In the morning I will treat the wood with an oil product and start moving stuff back into the space. The main cabin has too much stuff to do all at once, so I will do the port, then the starboard. Starboard is going to be a chore because I will need to empty two of the big bins before I can move them. My goal will be to move anything I might need from the storage space under the bins and fill that space with still I know I will not use. I stopped by the fish monger and picked up some Red Snapper. They were sold as a “bunch” of three for 100 Rand ($2 each). It is 11:00 and I have had my lunch, a bath (second one in 9 months), and a load of laundry is in the washer that will take 2.5h to finish. That means a nap! I was a good day. I have finished 80% of the laundry. I made a wonderful meal … Red snapper en papillote with herbs and young zucchini (called baby marrows here) in a tarragon mustard sauce.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 4:30 because high winds had caused the boat to heel and a stack of cans I had been sorting tumbled over. The forecast is for 5-16 kt, but it sounds like 25-30 kt. The winds are unpredictable here. I have been thinking about my route, and this is what I have come up with: Hout Bay to Saldanha [70 nm, 1d], Saldanha to Walvis (Namibia) [750 nm, 7d], Walvis to Recife (Brazil) [3250 nm, 37d], Recife to Bridgetown (Barbados) [2050 nm, 17d], Barbados to Kralendijk (Bonaire) [590 nm, 5d], Bonaire to Shelter Bay (Panama) [820 nm, 8d], Transit Panama Canal, Panama City (Panama) to Quepos (Costa Rica) [550 nm, 7d], Costa Rico to Puerto Chiapas (Mexico) [690 nm, 7d], Puerto Chiapas to Puerto Vallarta [1200 nm, 16d], Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas [300 nm, 4d], and Cabo San Lucas to San Carlos [410 nm, 4d]. 70+750+3250+2050+590+820+550+690+1200+300+410 = 10,680 nm. 1+7+37+17+5+8+7+7+16+4+4=113 days of sailing with ten stops and an average of one week per stop gives (113+70)/30=6.1 month (plus the Panama Canal, which will take a week). I am probably looking at a return around the end of June unless I can cut some time off my stays or skip some ports. Perhaps I will consider my original plan of sailing directly to the Caribbean. Also, given what is happening in Venezuela, I might skip Bonaire. About the minimum time it would take is … Hout Bay to Saldanha [70 nm, 1d], Saldanha to Bridgetown (Barbados) [5650 nm, 50d], Barbados to Shelter Bay (Panama) [1380 nm, 13d], Transit Panama Canal, Panama City (Panama) to Puerto Chiapas (Mexico) [1200 nm, 14d], Puerto Chiapas to Cabo San Lucas [1430 nm, 18d], and Cabo San Lucas to San Carlos [410 nm, 4d]. 70+5650+1380+1200+1430+410=10,140 nm. 1+50+13+14+18+4=100 days with five stops would probably take (100+35)/30=4.5 months (plus Panama). For the first plan, a departure in the middle of December would put me in SC in the end of June. The second plan would put me in the middle of May. As I dive deeper into the stores under the V-berth, stuff I have not been able to get to, I am finding things that I needed but could not find locally. It is not only nice to reorganize, but I am going to be able to redistribute the weight and balance the boat better. It is clear that there has been some dampness in the V-berth area and there is a little bit of water in the space with the bow thruster. My best guess the water is coming from the forward hatch because I can see no way for the water to get from the anchor locker to the bow thruster space unless it landed on top of the V-berth. The water is just below the shelf I built with an automated bilge pump. There is no evidence the water has been high enough to trigger the pump. I will punk out the water as part of my effort to clean, disintegrate, and dry out the forward cabin. I have about 3h to finish my work on the boat today before I need to go shopping and then move into the house. I am taking the printer with me to print out documents that I often need (copies of passport, ships papers, etc.). I also want to print out the photos of the Zarpas that were confiscated so I can update my ship’s papers. I checked into the house and did several loads of wash. It is going to take me most of the week to wash and dry everything in the boat. When I finish, my plan is to separate out what I will actually wear and bag everything else in plastic rather than putting it back in the wet locker or cabinets.

Current Position: 34 02.971’S 18 20.883’E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 0; COG: N/A; TWS: 40; TWD: 182; Current Speed, 0 kt; Current Direction, 0; Distance to Waypoint (Hout Bay): in a slip; Total Miles Sailed: 16487 nm; Engine Hours: 388; Estimate Fuel: 5+12+50;
Comments: I woke up at 5:00. I helped Chinook shove off about 6:00. I did a little shopping for breakfast items, then worked on clearing out the forward cabin. Jonathan from Southern Lofts came by about 11:00 to pick up the sails. Paradise Falls contacted me. They are expected to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday. I worked until about 3:00 and got cleaned up for the big rugby game.